Police: Don't shoot gun on holiday

Monday

Dec 31, 2007 at 12:01 AMDec 31, 2007 at 10:01 AM

A bullet that goes up must come down -- and when it does, it can cause power outages or injuries.

Megan Schmidt

A bullet that goes up must come down -- and when it does, it can cause power outages or injuries.
The trend of revelers shooting firearms in celebration of the new year can be a dangerous one, Allegan County Sheriff's office Undersheriff Jim Hull said.
Shots fired randomly into the sky can result in loss of electric service to thousands of homes and businesses, endangering people who depend on life-support systems.
Hull said that while such occurrences aren't frequent, the sheriff's office handles a few calls from startled neighbors each year who say they've heard gun shots.
"We'll get four or five calls, but usually it's hard to tell if it was a gun or fireworks that made the noise," Hull said.
Either way, he said, those activities are both illegal.
"Any fireworks that go 'bang' and go up in the air, you can't do in Michigan," he said. "Only the things that stay on the ground, like sparklers, are OK."
In Michigan, it is also a crime to fire a gun within 500 feet of a residence.
Hull said these activities are also especially dangerous on New Year's Eve, when many people are consuming alcohol.
Michigan law dictates that using a firearm recklessly, carelessly or while intoxicated is prohibited and can carry a 90 day sentence. If there is property damage or injury to another person, the punishment can be more severe.
Holland Police Department Capt. Rick Walters said that a city ordinance prohibits shooting any projectile within the city.
"With the number of houses and people and population density, it's just not reasonable to fire a gun anywhere in Holland," Walters said.
Consumers Energy, a natural gas and electricity provider for 6.5 million residents in Michigan, is offering cash rewards to anyone who provides information leading to the arrest and arraignment of those who cause power outages with gunfire this New Year's.
Such information can be given to local law enforcement agencies or phoned in to Consumers Energy at (800) 760-3295.
Holland (Mich.) Sentinel